Animal Osteopathy

A comprehensive guide to the osteopathic treatment of animals and birds

Anthony Nevin, Christopher Colles, Paolo Tozzi

• Publisher: Handspring Publishing Limited
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781909141308
• eBook ISBN: 9781912085279
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Alternative & Complementary Medicine

This is acomprehensive reference textbook for all those using osteopathic treatment techniques with animals or birds or studying to do so. The book is divided into sections: equine osteopathy; general small animal osteopathy; osteopathy for exotics- (pets such as tortoise, snakes, ferrets etc); osteopathy for wildlife – native as well as non to the UK including species found in most zoological collections; avian osteopathy – both domestic and wild/exotic. Each section coversinformation specific to that group. This makes the book appropriate for supporting structured post-graduate university validated courses in a clear and easily navigable way.

Content includes detailed sections on the differences encountered when working with animals; health and safety around different species; working within the law; integrating with allied professions; anatomy; physiology and patho-physiology; neurology; orthopaedics; differential diagnosis; differential aetiology of presenting conditions when compared to the human model; supportive husbandry and rehabilitation methods.

It includessections covering approaches to patient care; specifics of taking a detailed case history; use of supporting diagnostics; observation; palpation; structuring a treatment programme suitable for each species. Osteopathic treatment techniques and physical patient contact methods are be explained as well as graphically illustrated. All chapters are fully referenced and include revision notes to act as guidelines for the reader.

It is intended primarily for post-graduate osteopaths intending to work with animals or who are already doing so. It will also strongly appeal to vets as well as to other allied professions working with animals (eg massage therapists).

Chapter 1

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE OSTEOPATHIC TREATMENT OF ANIMALS AND BIRDS

Tony Nevin, Julia Brooks, Vibeke Elbrønd, Rikke Schultz, Brendan Atkin, Kate Colles

Introduction

A brief history of animal osteopathy

Working with veterinary surgeons and allied professionals

Zoonotic disease and parasites

Kate Colles

Comparative anatomy

Julia Brooks

Identification of myofascial kinetic lines in animals

Vibeke Elbrønd and Rikke Schultz

Taking an animal case history

Brendan Atkin

Appendix A: Known zoonoses

Chapter 1

An introduction to the osteopathictreatment of animals and birds

Introduction

The principles of osteopathy apply to all forms of fauna, and not just humans.

As undergraduates the majority of osteopaths study the examination and treatment of the human patient. Those wishing to expand their practice to include the treatment of animals and birds face many challenges. Not least is the difference in communication and body language between the myriad species and breeds that can be encountered.

In the United Kingdom and some other territories the law states that an osteopath can only treat an animal if it has been referred by a veterinary surgeon (Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966). This also makes the veterinary surgeon legally responsible for that animal’s welfare throughout the course of osteopathic treatment.

When following a career in animal osteopathy, there are many differences to working with the human patient; the main ones are listed below:

1.Work is usually only by direct veterinary referral.

2.Case history taking is undertaken via an intermediary such as an animal’s owner, the veterinary surgeon, trainer, or keeper. This can result in some lost data or conflicting information if several people are involved.

3.Direct practitioner–patient communication relies primarily on visual body language, with some simple verbal commands when dealing with species such as dogs, horses, and elephants. Observation and reading a patient’s body language are essential to safe practice.

4.The chance of contracting a zoonotic disease or parasitic attack is a continual risk, as some of these conditions show few or no signs of infection or infestation in their animal host.

5.There are species and breed-specific anatomical and physiological differences which have a direct bearing on how to apply osteopathic principles when formulating treatment programs.

6.The osteopath must consider their own health and safety in addition to that of the handler and patient, and may therefore decide to treat a patient using sedation or a general anesthetic.

7.Any post-treatment rehabilitation will rely on the full understanding and cooperation of all involved in the patient’s care, whether the patient is a top event horse returning to work or an orphaned elephant that will be returned to the wild.

8.Consideration and understanding of the fight-or-flight status of the patients you are likely to treat is essential. Some species may be considered as flight animals, such as equines, but a stallion may behave more like a fight animal if it feels threatened, as can some mares. Similarly, with cats and dogs, it can be difficult to determine what they will do if they feel scared. Primates and some birds can be tricky to handle if the sex of both the practitioner and patient are the same, and the patient is fully conscious during examination and treatment.

9.Species that are kept in collections can pose problems, as they may not behave as one would expect them to in the wild. These need to be considered on a case-by-case basis.

10.There are occasions when the osteopath will be able to effect lasting changes without actually touching their animal patient. This is achieved purely by applying osteopathic principles to active movement training regimens, as well as modified husbandry.

As most osteopaths will have a thorough understanding of the anatomy, physiology, and neurology of the human model they may think that they can simply apply their skills to the treatment of animals and birds. However, just as there are many different aspects to human osteopathy, so there are in this field, with the added complication of many modifications to each of the three systems just mentioned (Dyce et al. 2009).

A study of comparative anatomy is required, along with a working knowledge of the different biomechanics, physiology, and neurological pathways that some species have evolved (Thompson 1996). Without this knowledge, and a genuine desire to work with allied professionals who already know these species, the osteopath will be at a major disadvantage.

A brief history of animal osteopathy

When Andrew Taylor Still developed what we now call osteopathy he based it on the original Native American system of maintaining health. These nations did not only use manual medicine to treat their people – they used it on their animals as well.

From that time onward there are cases mentioned of osteopaths treating animals and birds, usually owned by human patients who could see the benefits of their own treatments; however, it is not until we get well into the twentieth century that we start to see this side of the profession begin to be taken seriously.

Prior to this and the passing of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, osteopaths were working very much on their wits and instinct (RCVS 2018).

Arthur Smith, a graduate of the British School of Osteopathy, was one of the early osteopaths who worked with a veterinary surgeon, again a patient of his. He was, however, unusual in that he not only treated cases for this vet, but also through him saw several hundred referred cases from other vets, thus paving the way for future generations to follow. He pioneered the treatment of horses under general anesthesia, which was much less sophisticated than the techniques used today.

Arthur had originally been posted to the UK to serve in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Afterwards he enrolled to study osteopathy and became a resident thereafter. His sons were often involved in assisting with his equine work, unwinding the fascial tension patterns, along with several other strong assistants, and as such they aptly demonstrated the need to treat the whole body and not just a particular point of altered tissue state.

In the 1970s Anthony Pusey started treating animals; again this was initiated by a client asking him to look at their dog. Working with the owner’s vet he not only treated the dog, but also built up a thriving referral clinic.

In the 1980s his horse work took off after a meeting with Dr. Chris Colles, a specialist equine orthopedic surgeon. Chris, with a former research background, had noted that many cases referred to him revealed no apparent cause for their presentation. These were cases where the horse had gradually lost condition, was finding it difficult to work at a certain level, and generally presented as stiff. However, after thorough veterinary examinations and tests he was unable to discover a cause for the condition.

Chris heard about Anthony’s work via two of his own clients who had their horses treated by him. The outcome of the meeting was the creation of a referral clinic, which grew into the largest of its kind for difficult, chronic back cases. Cases seen ranged from Olympic level dressage and event horses through to happy hackers.

Throughout his career Anthony strove to raise the professional standards of animal osteopathy. He created introductory courses and seminars, and was instrumental in getting the first postgraduate master’s course validated in the subject. He also wrote and presented several papers, cowrote chapters on animal osteopathy in several veterinary and osteopathic textbooks, and also coproduced the first British animal osteopathy book (Pusey et al. 2010).

His career was sadly cut short when he passed away on March 30th, 2007. His legacy lives on in those he inspired and worked closely with, including his son Rupert who later graduated as an osteopath, and who has begun to dip his toe into animal-based treatment.

Another exponent of animal osteopathy in the UK is Stuart McGregor. Stuart came from an equine science background and combined the two subjects to focus on helping and maintaining the performance horse and dog. He has successfully run his own program of postgraduate studies introducing osteopaths to this fascinating branch of the profession. This has added to the quality of postgraduate study available.

At RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia there has been a master’s course in animal osteopathy, which sadly at the time of writing no longer exists. However, one of this book’s contributors (Brendan Atkin) has completed the master’s course in the UK and is well situated to help resurrect it.

In 1991 the author (TN) was asked to look at an injured badger (Meles meles) at a UK wildlife hospital, and thus began a long career applying osteopathic principles to help in the treatment of wild animals and birds that has involved travel, lecturing, and several published papers on the subject (Nevin 1997, 1998, 2005, 2012, 2017; Colles et al. 2004). Since the untimely demise of Anthony Pusey, Tony has been the clinical director of the first British MSc in Animal Osteopathy. This is run in conjunction with the McTimoney College, Oxfordshire, UK. This is in addition to his more mainstream clinics where he treats people, horses, and small domestic pets.

Others who have helped cement animal osteopathy into the fabric of our modern profession are mostly represented as contributors to this book, as authors and proofreaders, as well as content advisors.

Throughout Europe and Scandinavia there are many osteopaths who now regularly treat animals. Some countries have also set up societies and support groups to help steer the development of animal osteopathy, including the Society of Osteopaths in Animal Practice (SOAP) in the UK, which formed the first structured group purely for osteopaths treating animals and offered quality CPD seminars to postgraduate osteopaths.

More recently the UK-based International Association of Animal Therapists (IAAT) has extended its membership to include osteopaths and chiropractors. The IAAT was originally formed to support animal physiotherapy and is part of a growing network for professionals, integrating postgraduate training to further benefit their patients.

As animal osteopathy grows, the need to develop support groups within each economic territory and nation is essential for the profession to grow and strengthen the body of knowledge it is creating.

The need for quality peer-reviewed research is only going to increase, and it is the responsibility of each and every osteopath to contribute to this, even at a basic clinical level. We need only look at other allied professions to see the direction we are all traveling in, and the fact that so little has been proved regarding what we actually do when we treat animals and birds. We assume a lot based on human medical research, or in certain cases animal research, that is often the only data we can use to justify our actions. The authors hope that this book will encourage further advancement of this fascinating branch of osteopathy.

In 2012 the First International Congress of Osteopathy in Animal Practice was held in Rome and highlighted the amount of res...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Dedication
• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Editors
• Contributors
• Glossary
• 1. An introduction to the osteopathic treatment of animals and birds
• 2. The dog
• 3. The cat
• 4. Small furries
• 5. The horse
• 6. Livestock
• 7. Reptiles
• 8. Birds
• 9. Small wildlife and exotics
• 10. Megafauna
• Index